Lausanne, Switzerland, October 3, 2012 – The final of the Del Monte Cup between Cucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata and Club-World Championship-bound Itas Diatec Trentino came down to a breath-taking tiebreak that Macerata finally won after two hours and fifteen minutes of play.

For the defending champion Trentino team, it was a disappointing introduction to the 2012-2013 season. They were unable to establish any advantage over Macerata in the first set, losing 23-25. They took the second 25-19, but were again fought to a standstill and overcome 26-28 in the third. Trentino won the fourth set 25-20 to force the tiebreak, only to end up falling behind and losing 11-15.

"They were better than us in the loose ball situations – this has made the difference,” said Trentino coach Radostin Stoytchev. “We are a team that aims to win on all fronts and we have underestimated this opponent. We will work better and we must learn to keep our feet on the ground, recognize our weaknesses and improve."

In particular, Trentino will look to cut down on unforced errors before taking to the court in Doha.

The player of the match was Macerata’s Ivan Zaytsev, a newcomer to the team who walked away with the Del Monte MVP Cup after his first appearance with them.

“I have fun with the new module,” said Zaytsev, who was brought over from Rome for the 2012-2013 season. “I really enjoy playing this way.”

Zenit
Kazan will be in Doha, Qatar for the 2012 FIVB Club World Championships
from October 13 to 19. Information about the competition is available here.